Rs 20-meal project of Kerala brings smiles to people

Kerala’s ‘Subiksha Hotel’ project aimed at providing food to people at affordable price has become a major hit in the state. And now seeing the acceptance of the project among people, the government is opening more such hotels in the state to offer a meal for just Rs 20.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil inaugurated two new Subiksha hotels at Kothamangalam and Kunnathunadu as part of the hunger-free Kerala project. Officials said more such hotels will be opened in other places in the coming days as the government has set a target to open a total 139 hotels across the state in the next one year.

The hotels are run by Kudumbashree, the women self-help group and the government provides a grant of Rs 10 lakh for those who are ready to start the hotel. Though the meal is only priced at Rs 20, it offers five dishes along with rice. Customers can also buy special fish curry or chicken curry at a nominal cost.

The hunger free project was envisioned by former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, who in his budget speech in 2020, announced that the government will establish 1000 hotels to provide meals at Rs 25. He had also said that a special aid of Rs 20 crore would be allocated in the budget for the project.

In fact, the Subiksha hotel project was conceived after Isaac saw the success of an innovative attempt by an NGO Snehajalakam which opened a cash counter-less hotel in Alappuzha in 2018. The NGO, which is supported by Isaac, launched the hotel named as ‘Janakeeya Bhakshanasala’ to offer food to those who can’t afford to buy a meal. Though there’s no cash counter at the hotel, people who wish to support the cause can drop any amount of their choice at the box kept at the counter.